Tunnel Diggers lost to Balham Bears (Men’s D2 Red - London Volleyball League) 8:25 17:25 16:25Second spot securedTunnel Diggers created a hole for themselves in an opening set during which Balham Bears played confidently while their hosts failed to show that they could play well. It was as though they had been overawed by playing the team in second spot in their last fixture of the season, a season in which they had not recorded a single victory.

Self belief started to appear in the second set and it eventually turned into success midway through when even a time out could not halt a recovery that brought them from 9:15 to 13:16 but Bears were then able to show their pedigree by finishing off the set losing only one more rally. The third set was very close for the most of the twenty-three minutes that it lasted and Bears owe their success to a great spell of serving from Adailton Nascimento with Simon Roscoe, Colin Baines and Pablo Otero finally clicking in their front line. They took their side to 9:19 from which their was no realistic way back although Diggers will be delighted that they won the greater number of the last fifteen rallies to bring the match to an enjoyable and demanding end.